- 2 days ago
Shaun Micallef's Going For Broke - Season 1 Episode 2
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Short filmTranscript
00:28Transcribed by ESO, translated by —
00:31Oh, damn!
00:32Can I?
00:33Yeah, yeah, sure, you go ahead.
00:36When my children were very little and not almost a full head height tall of me like they are now,
00:41I wouldn't let them play on claw machines like this because, as I explained to them,
00:46if they wanted a soft toy, they could go and buy one at a shop
00:49rather than pay the money here and perhaps not get anything at all.
00:54And then I remember my then eight-year-old son turned to me and he said,
00:58yeah, but, Dad, that's the fun of it.
01:01The risk that they might not get anything at all was worth the price of the $2 coin.
01:06Do you remember saying that to me?
01:08Yeah.
01:09Yeah, he remembers.
01:11Therein, I think, lies the beating heart of why we gamble,
01:14that thing that makes the adrenaline course through our body
01:17and the endorphins hurtle towards the pleasure centres of our brain,
01:20that competing risk of not winning anything versus winning something,
01:27even if, in the case of claw machines, that something is worth almost nothing.
01:33Now, some people, like my son, enjoy that tension, that suspense,
01:38whereas other people, like me, not so much.
01:42How'd you go?
01:46Well, that's not nothing.
01:48Do you want a drink?
01:49Yeah.
01:50Yeah, why not?
01:51But not alcohol, though, because did you see On the Source?
01:53That was my other documentary.
01:54Yeah, yeah.
01:55You did not.
02:01I'm on a quest
02:03to understand why gambling has become ingrained in the Australian psyche.
02:08Makes me happy, that noise.
02:10I've seen the role that can play socially.
02:12OK, I'll put 100 in.
02:14And I'm part of the syndicate, all right?
02:16Now I want to lift the lid.
02:18See, that's not a good start.
02:19I've got your money already.
02:20On the gambling industry's tactics.
02:22It's always in favour of the house, isn't it?
02:24Yeah, it is.
02:25Who does it target?
02:26It's just saturated, like it's everywhere.
02:29What tricks does it use?
02:30Have access to every racing track in Australia.
02:33And who ends up paying the price?
02:35Totally crippled my life.
02:37I had so much money owing, I just thought, I'll just kill myself.
02:41When betting companies entice us to go for broke.
02:52For most of Australia's colonial history,
02:55gambling was a gentleman's game.
02:59But the new face of gambling has lipstick and make-up on it
03:02and often wears a fascinator.
03:06So what is it that attracts women to the track?
03:10I picked the cold champagne rather than the nice champagne.
03:16Hello.
03:17Hi, mate.
03:18Welcome.
03:18How are you?
03:19How's it going?
03:20Good.
03:20May I come in?
03:21Yeah.
03:21Is this a safe space?
03:24Am I intruding at all?
03:25Men are allowed here as well.
03:28Lucia and her friends, Tash and Preeta...
03:31To the races.
03:31...are preparing for a day at the races.
03:35Specifically, Derby Day,
03:36the big opener to the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
03:41So, Lucia, that's a very nice cardigan you're wearing.
03:43Are you going to wear that to the races?
03:45No, I'm not.
03:46I'm going to fully glamour.
03:47This is normal for us, professional hair and make-up.
03:51Yeah, we're nearly ready to rock and roll.
03:53So what does Derby Day mean to you?
03:56Well, Derby Day is the epitome of class and style.
03:59It's very fashionable.
04:04Fashion has long been used to lure ladies to the track.
04:09Back in 1962, when crowds were thinning,
04:12the Victoria Racing Club invented fashions on the field.
04:16Miss Elizabeth Kurtz wins an award for an elegant hat.
04:19£15,000 worth of prizes will be won in the contest.
04:22From the very beginning, controversial outfits made headlines.
04:26In 1965, the world's highest-paid model, Jean Shrimpton,
04:31caused an outbreak of pearl clutching
04:33by turning up to Derby Day practically naked.
04:36No hat, no gloves,
04:38and a hemline revealing, good Lord, the knees.
04:42Don't Melbourne women look so refined?
04:44I think so.
04:45I think so.
04:48Gambling wasn't seen as proper.
04:50Women were there to look good,
04:52not study the form and haggle with bookies.
04:56Then gambling companies had a revelation.
04:59Let's forget about what's socially acceptable
05:01because we're missing out on half the market.
05:0311 to 10, win only.
05:05Good luck.
05:06So they bravely tore down the gender barriers,
05:09struck a blow for feminism,
05:10and today women have a front seat in the betting ring.
05:13Can I ask, do you do all right when it comes to horse betting?
05:16Yeah, generally.
05:17OK.
05:17There was one time I was at Melbourne Cup
05:19and I won about $600, $700 or something like that.
05:23I'd say most times I walk away with slightly less in the pocket.
05:28That's not why I'm going.
05:29For me, it's the getting dressed up,
05:31having a wine in the sun, there's some good music.
05:33I think there is still the thrill and sort of the atmosphere of the race,
05:37which is why, you know, I will put a bet on.
05:39I'm not going in thinking,
05:41oh, my God, I'm going to come out of this day rich.
05:45For the racing industry, that's exactly the point.
05:50Hungry for more female punters,
05:51they've elevated race days from just a fashion event
05:54to the ultimate girls' day out.
05:58Champagne marquees, pamper stations and celebrity ambassadors
06:02all tap into what they consider to be
06:04a woman's appetite for glitz, glamour and entertainment.
06:07Probably four to five women to every one bloke.
06:10So if blokes don't have a good day today, they're not trying.
06:14At some races, female attendance is up 50% each year.
06:19And once there, a flutter becomes part of the fun.
06:25It's a tactic the tobacco and alcohol industry has figured out decades ago.
06:29The slim cigarette for women only, tailored for the feminine hand.
06:33Slimmer than the fat cigarettes men smoke, with flavour women like.
06:37Pretty up the packaging and suddenly it's fashionable to partake.
06:40Even, dare we say it, liberating.
06:43You've got your own cigarette now, baby.
06:46You've come a long, long way.
06:51But it's the shift in technology
06:53that's really closing the gambling gender gap.
06:55Do you go to the TAB?
06:57I find the TAB confusing.
06:59I normally just go on my phone.
07:01I mean, most of the time I'll find out that a race is on
07:03because I see, like, a little ad online.
07:04It's just saturated.
07:06I'll continually get updates about bonus bets
07:09and, you know, money back
07:11if your horse comes first, second or third.
07:15Love your shoes. They're so killer.
07:17You kick the eye out of a snake with those.
07:19They're very pointy.
07:21As it's all about style and looking your best...
07:24That's nice.
07:26I've decided to compensate for the fact
07:28that I'm wearing a suit I haven't worn
07:29since I hosted Talk About Your Generation
07:31and slip into something with a little more luxury.
07:37Hair and hat's in place.
07:39We're finally Derby Day bound.
07:42Yeah.
07:43Oh, OK. Yeah, sure.
07:44Yeah.
07:48All route, Preeta has a hot tip.
07:51Race seven, and I think it's called Observer for a win.
07:56Observer in the seventh for a win.
07:58All right, that's interesting.
07:59The last thing I want to do in this program
08:01is encourage anyone to gamble,
08:02but I can kind of see the excitement.
08:06As we get closer,
08:07I see there's something about Derby Day
08:09that makes it special.
08:10A strict black-and-white dress code.
08:13Oh, see, now no-one gave me a memo.
08:15I'm wearing brown.
08:16Fortunately, my fashion faux pas won't crap their style.
08:20Happy Derby Day.
08:22I actually have some bad news before we go any further.
08:26I'm actually banned from this course.
08:27Oh, my God.
08:28Racing Victoria said that we can't come in,
08:30and Racing South Australia said we can't go in,
08:33and Gold Coast Racing said we can't go in,
08:35and the same with Racing New South Wales,
08:37because I think they're a bit worried
08:38that we might make fun of them
08:39or that we'll tell a story that's not, you know,
08:42as consistent with a corporate video or something.
08:45So we're going to have to say goodbye at this point.
08:47But, well, you can help me, Preeta.
08:49Yeah.
08:49Would you mind betting on that horse for me?
08:51Yeah, for sure.
08:52Because in the previous episode, I won $100.
08:55And I, if you wouldn't mind...
08:57Let's hope you win more.
08:59Yeah, I want to win more.
09:00Otherwise, it's not a win.
09:01But, well, have fun, and thank you so much,
09:03and have a lovely day.
09:06All right, cheers.
09:07Wait, actually, guys?
09:09Yeah, yeah, I'm not going in.
09:10Oh.
09:11See ya.
09:12Let's go.
09:13Bye.
09:13Luckily, I've already experienced the colour and chaos of the races.
09:18Back in 2011, I was cast as trainer Lee Freeman.
09:23In Aussie box office smash the cup.
09:25All I'm saying is watch your back.
09:27The man's full of bullshit.
09:29Yeah, over there, it's called Blarney.
09:31Oh, is it?
09:31Well, it still smells like crap over here.
09:33Why I didn't win an actor award for that, I'll never know.
09:37Anyway, thanks to social media,
09:40I feel like I was there with the gang.
09:46We're waiting for the race seven.
09:48Let's see what's on God.
09:52How are you feeling?
09:58Go!
09:59Go!
10:00Go!
10:01Go!
10:04Go!
10:06I'm going to send you money!
10:09As luck would have it, I scored another win.
10:12That's $135 back into ABC coffers.
10:17Senate estimates will be pleased.
10:20Of course, it all seemed like harmless fun,
10:23but a flutter on course is just the beginning.
10:28In the digital era,
10:29you can bet on just about any event on the planet.
10:32This person only trades the egg market.
10:35The price of a dozen eggs in August.
10:37They made over, like, $70,000.
10:39Betting apps offer odds on any number of non-sport-related contests.
10:45Award shows, election results,
10:49even dancing with the stars.
10:54Actually, the markets were on the money there.
10:56Only one competitor had better odds.
10:59Kyle and Lily!
11:00He won.
11:01I came second.
11:03Anyway, some of these weird wages are specifically designed to lure the female side of the ledger.
11:10And keep them betting once race day is over.
11:13Who's going to cry during the vows?
11:15This one I'm here for.
11:17Odds are on the NFL tough guy, Travis, is going to weep like a baby at the altar.
11:23It seems to be working.
11:25Online betting for women is at an all-time high.
11:29Gambling harm in young women is now rising at twice the rate of men.
11:34And worryingly, they're even less likely to seek help.
11:40With men, the strategy is even more aggressive.
11:46Enter the multi.
11:48The greatest combinations come together in a same-game multi.
11:52Multi bets, or multis, are a relatively new invention in sports betting.
11:58Instead of backing one outcome, you stack a series of bets known as legs.
12:04I'm going to go Broncos to win.
12:06Payne Haas to get Clive Churchill medal.
12:10I'll make the centres.
12:11Staggs?
12:12The other centre.
12:13Shibasaki.
12:13Yeah, I'm going to have him to try a scorer.
12:16But there's a catch.
12:17If one leg fails, you lose the lot.
12:20The prize may be bigger, but the chance of winning is slimmer.
12:25And yet, men can't seem to get enough of them.
12:31To understand why, I'm shooting craps and the breeze with noted thoroughbred racing analyst
12:36and former bookmaker Mark Lambourne.
12:39I'm going to roll it, and I'm going to win almost $3,500.
12:42Yeah.
12:45Look at that.
12:46Look at that.
12:47Seven.
12:47I'm on a roll, as are the dice.
12:49When a young person, so not me or you, go onto the apps and they make a multi bet, do
12:57you
12:57think that they understand that the odds have lengthened?
13:00Typically, people aren't concerned about the odds and they're easily dazzled by large pots,
13:07large rewards.
13:08They tend to overplay, to overestimate the chances of these remote, unlikely events.
13:16But the psychology of the punter is such that they hate losing.
13:21Right?
13:22In fact, humans hate losing.
13:25They will take greater risks so as not to realise the loss, and they will in fact lose more.
13:32They're chasing a win to compensate the loss.
13:36The most important thing the bookmakers have got going for them is the psychology of the punter.
13:44And that's the insidious nature of the multi.
13:47Just like a poker machine, the lure of a big but unlikely payout keeps you playing, or rather
13:53being played.
13:54You burn through the money faster than you realise, while the bookie cleans up.
14:03Not all gambling has been supercharged to fleece you.
14:10Some forms remain as they always have been, and allow you to go home with your fleece intact.
14:17They say that what happens in Carom Downs Bingo Hall stays in Carom Downs Bingo Hall.
14:25Not today, though.
14:28Between them, these hustlers have taken the joint for tens of elevens of dollars a week.
14:34Sometimes less.
14:35Head of the syndicate, high roller, Peggy Tucker.
14:45And how long have you been coming?
14:4820 odd years.
14:5020 years?
14:50Yes.
14:51About 28 years since it opened.
14:53So I'll get me tickets.
14:55You get your tickets from here.
14:57Okay.
14:58Older Australians are less likely to gamble.
15:01But those who do, do it more often.
15:04I'll have just for the two sessions, look.
15:07Please.
15:08You could call this Peggy's local.
15:10She's here three times a week.
15:12Is it addictive, do you think?
15:14No, not really.
15:15Okay, well, Peggy says it's not addictive.
15:17Oh, hello.
15:18Sorry.
15:19Not addictive, maybe, but very popular around here.
15:23Peggy, we'll get out of the way or they'll start to get cross with you and you'll lose
15:28all the friends you've made over the last 15 years.
15:33Good morning, everyone, and welcome to Cairngown's Bingo Centre.
15:38I must remind you, nobody under the age of 18 is permitted to stay in the Orwell Bingo's.
15:42Good luck, everybody.
15:45From the early 1900s, bingo, or housey, was a way to fundraise for the war.
15:49Twenty-five to five.
15:55Come the 80s, one in five of us participated in this Saturday night ritual.
16:00Five and nine, the Brighton line.
16:02It's just a matter of crossing out each number, as it's called, and then when there are no numbers
16:08left, well, it's...
16:09Bingo!
16:12And as bingo boomed, the jackpots reach new heights.
16:16Seven miles up, state gambling laws don't apply.
16:21Prizes of up to $20,000 are being paid for here today.
16:25Two and nine, 29.
16:27Bingo!
16:28$20,000.
16:35When betting and pokies became more accessible, though, bingo lost its luster.
16:40But if you're in Peggy's demographic, it's still a big part of the social calendar.
16:45When life gets quiet and budgets tighten, bingo's an antidote to loneliness.
16:51It's relatively inexpensive, too.
16:54$24 buys you three hours of company.
16:57Come bring in biscuits and we have a chat.
17:00I come to all the friends and company.
17:02That's right.
17:03I mean, otherwise you'd be sitting at home just watching the totally.
17:06You're lucky you got your husband to annoy.
17:10Why do you think I come here?
17:15Is that your bag?
17:16Yes.
17:17Betty Boop.
17:18Yes.
17:19Betty Boop is a 1920s flapper.
17:22Can I ask...
17:23Are you old enough to know Betty Boop?
17:26May I ask how old you are?
17:29Well, what would you think?
17:3280...
17:32I don't want to embarrass you.
17:34No, no.
17:34Don't embarrass me.
17:3687?
17:37I wish.
17:39I'm 105.
17:41Really?
17:42Well, I was born in 1920.
17:44You're having a lend of me.
17:47Every day's a bonus, isn't it?
17:49Yes, isn't it?
17:50Check and make sure you have the green book in front of you.
17:53So, shall we get set up?
17:55Yes, yes, so have you got a pen?
17:57No, I didn't bring a pen.
17:58Oh, well, let's see.
18:00You can borrow that one.
18:01What's that one?
18:01Is that...
18:02Yes.
18:07It's just a regular pen, is it?
18:08Yes.
18:09Oh, I see.
18:09You do that.
18:11Oh, you dab it.
18:11What do they call a dab?
18:12I understand now.
18:13Yeah, OK.
18:13All right.
18:14If I get bingo on this, or you get bingo on yours, how much do you win?
18:18$50.
18:19$50?
18:20That's pretty good.
18:21$50.
18:21It's a good one.
18:22Everyone in this first session today, eyes down, first number, two and four, 24, eight...
18:30I can see why bingo has been a constant in Peggy's life.
18:33One and four, 14...
18:35Unlike the pokies, the odds feel fairer.
18:37Someone somewhere in this room is guaranteed to win.
18:4052, 8080, 4040...
18:43There's also some skill involved.
18:45It's not just pressing a button.
18:46One and five, 15, five and seven, 57.
18:49Two and four, 24, five...
18:51Do you miss three?
18:53Do you know?
18:53Sometimes she calls a bit quick.
18:55Seven and nine, 79.
18:57Seven and one, 71.
18:59Eight and five, 85.
19:00When you get to one, gallon and nearly dicks a roof.
19:03I don't want too much adrenaline, because my eyes will roll back in my head.
19:07I'll be buying millions of these.
19:10Bingo.
19:11Bingo.
19:1215,000.
19:13OK, I've got a good feeling about this one.
19:15Four and one, 41.
19:17Eight and three, 83.
19:18Unfortunately, for me, the more I play, the less confident I become.
19:24Bingo.
19:24Bingo, 145.
19:27Sometimes they can be lucky, lucky, you know.
19:30Yeah, yeah.
19:30Game closed.
19:31But I'm not leaving without one last lesson.
19:34You're 105, if you're to be believed.
19:37That really is your age.
19:38Yes.
19:39If I wanted to live that long, what would your advice to me be?
19:44Don't sit at home.
19:46Mm-hmm.
19:47Find a hobby.
19:48Yes.
19:50Enjoy life while you can.
19:52It's been very, very interesting meeting you, and I wish you the very best.
19:55Thank you very much.
19:56OK.
20:13Everything else, it shows that you can have gambling as part of your social experience
20:17and it not be terribly detrimental.
20:27Contrary to what we may have led you to believe...
20:29$1,000.
20:30I won $1,000.
20:32Not all Australians are die-hard punters.
20:39At the turn of the last millennium, it would be fair to say that even I enjoyed a day at
20:43the races.
20:44And I'm not just talking about the film starring the Marx Brothers.
20:46I'm talking about the actual races.
20:49Indeed, all forms of gambling, most of us enjoyed it.
20:54These days, only about half the population exercises their right to a punt.
20:58And yet losses continue to climb, which means the industry is now relying on a smaller percentage
21:03of gamblers to fund an ever-growing empire.
21:05We're talking about 20% of the gamblers accounting for 80% of Australia's gambling losses.
21:11That's a very small number of people propping up a $32 billion industry.
21:17Come on!
21:20And the real kick in the groin?
21:22Those doing most to boost gambling's bottom line live in some of our poorest postcodes.
21:30Research shows the closer you live to a gambling venue, the more likely you'll go there with
21:35harmful regularity.
21:38And yet in some disadvantaged areas, there are 10 times more poker machines than in wealthier
21:43suburbs.
21:48The Western Sydney suburb of Fairfield is one of Australia's most disadvantaged communities.
21:53Almost a quarter of residents live below the poverty line, and yet it has one of the highest
21:58concentrations of poker machines in the country.
22:03Here, people are losing nearly $700 million each year.
22:12Anthony?
22:13Morning, Sean.
22:14How are you?
22:14I'm Sean, yes.
22:15Nice to meet you.
22:15Nice to meet you too.
22:16Welcome to Fairfield RSL.
22:17Thank you very much.
22:19Anthony Sobb is CEO of one of Fairfield's largest pokies venues, the RSL.
22:24This is the launching pad into the club.
22:27Can I look?
22:28The lobby area?
22:28Absolutely.
22:30These are luxury brands.
22:32They are.
22:33We've got very brand-orientated clientele.
22:36That particular shop is the number one sales for Lacoste handbags in Australia.
22:42That's an unusual thing for an RSL?
22:45We're trying to create an entertainment hub.
22:47So retail, food and beverage, and gaming.
22:50Okay.
22:51Online, it's billed as a resort with a boutique five-star fit-out.
22:56And it is filthy with opulence.
22:58Ow.
22:59You all right?
23:00Yeah, it's good.
23:01Marble.
23:03I can see why locals might flock here.
23:05It's carefully curated to make you feel like a VIP from the moment you walk in.
23:10This is our Asian restaurant.
23:12We're in a real crucible in our area in Fairfield of different cultures.
23:16So our aim is to embrace all the different cultures.
23:20More than half of Fairfield's residents were born overseas,
23:23and there's good reason to lure them in with food.
23:27At the heart of this bedazzled jewel of the West sit over 300 money-making machines.
23:34We're now going to enter into our gaming floor.
23:37Well, let's have a look at this bit, because this is what the documentary's about.
23:40Sure.
23:42Each year, gamblers lose $41 million in this room.
23:47Of that, the RSL pockets $25 million.
23:50And the state government helps itself to over $11 million.
23:55This is the main source of income.
23:56Would that be fair to say?
23:58Main source of income, not main source of purpose.
24:00From a financial perspective, yes.
24:02But it empowers us to be able to do all the other good stuff we do for the community as
24:07well.
24:07When Anthony says good stuff, he's not talking just about the fine dining and shopping.
24:13Fairfield RSL has its own gambling addiction clinic.
24:18Luckily, it's not far.
24:21Just a bit of geography.
24:23That's the Fairfield RSL.
24:25It's literally across the car park.
24:38I'm here to see somebody called Mark.
24:40Hey, Sean.
24:41Nice to meet you.
24:42Welcome.
24:43You're Mark?
24:44Welcome, I am.
24:45All right, thank you.
24:45I'll show you around, mate.
24:46All right.
24:47I'm not going to buy the place.
24:49Yeah, it's not for sale.
24:51Oh, okay.
24:53Oakdean House helps nearly 2,000 compulsive gamblers a year through free weekly support meetings.
25:00It's mostly funded by the pokies.
25:04Ironic much?
25:10Hello, everyone.
25:12Hello, everyone.
25:12Thank you for coming today.
25:13Let's go around the room.
25:15If you'd like to identify.
25:17I'm a compulsive gambler and it's been 36 days.
25:20Yeah, of course.
25:26I'm a compulsive gambler and it's been seven years, 11 months and one and a half weeks.
25:32Please, Mark.
25:33Yeah, thanks, Mark.
25:35I'm a refugee from a country torn by war.
25:39Camp Australia in 1994.
25:42The following week, after my arrival, my brother took me to the club and he showed me the machines
25:49and he warned me, actually, you know, to touch them.
25:51They're evil.
25:53I put some coins in the machine and I was just pressing the buttons and I thought, like,
25:59wow, Australia is a beautiful country.
26:01I don't have to work.
26:02All I have to do is come to these places and put $10 and get my wages, you know.
26:07And I'll build this beautiful house and I'll invite Jennifer Lopez to my daughter's wedding.
26:13The horror story after that for you was equivalent to when you were back in your home country.
26:19Absolutely.
26:20In war.
26:22In war, you know, you're enemy.
26:24This is a psychological war.
26:27So that's the difference.
26:28Good one, mate.
26:29Good stuff.
26:35Well, what is having a RSL just across the car park like?
26:39I mean, do you notice that?
26:40Does it impact at you at all when you come here?
26:43Today, because I know I was coming to a meeting and I'm not feeling triggered,
26:47but it's inside the rooms with the lights, with the enjoyment of the games.
26:53It's in your face all the time.
26:55It's everywhere.
26:56The smallest of things can trigger going to want to gamble to placing a bet.
27:04Recovery is a fight that is never really over.
27:07So why on earth park temptation right next to the treatment?
27:13I founded Oak Dean 13 years ago, and before that we were involved with the Sydney Problem Gambling Centre.
27:21So this is something we've been involved with 20 years.
27:24Is this something that's particularly of interest to you?
27:27I've got a personal investment in this, in that I have lived experience with addiction that I know of for
27:36generations in my family.
27:38And you would have seen the downside of it at very close quarters?
27:42Yes.
27:44Yeah, it's interesting you've ended up where you are.
27:47Well, it's interesting.
27:48People see that to be successful you can't have a moral compass, but I'd like to think that even if
27:55I didn't have lived experience in relation to addictions,
27:58that I would do it because I have a moral obligation being the CEO of an organisation that offers gambling
28:04to be part of the solution in helping those people.
28:06A small percentage of people who simply can't gamble.
28:09We work so hard here because if we didn't work hard here and we didn't have the money that we
28:14had from gaming,
28:15we couldn't do all the good work we do at Oak Dean.
28:18Is regulation or the expectations of the legislation contributed in any way to Oak Dean?
28:26There is no legislation that says it should open up a gaming rehabilitation centre.
28:33That's something we've done on our own.
28:37It's true, Anthony didn't have to set up the rehab centre.
28:41But under New South Wales legislation, clubs that clear more than a million dollars in gaming profits must donate 1
28:47.85% towards the common good.
28:50Or pay the equivalent in extra tax.
28:53In Fairfield's case, they're donating around double that, nearly a million dollars in the last year.
28:59A drop in the ocean compared to their $25 million pokies profit.
29:03As well as a cheap and conveniently located distraction from the real issue.
29:08These machines are built for addiction.
29:14Now, I'm no Dr. Carl, and I'm sure he'd be the first to agree with me on that.
29:19But let's look at the science of all this.
29:21This is a brain.
29:23And that stuff is dopamine.
29:25Now, you might remember from episode one that dopamine is released by the brain's reward centre.
29:30And turns up for all kinds of things to create a feeling of pleasure.
29:34In my case, cheesecake, a good book, etc, etc.
29:37For others, it might be sunsets or various forms of gambling.
29:42Now, the trouble is, the more you stimulate this bit of the brain, the less it works.
29:47Too many sunsets and you get blasé.
29:49That bet that once gave you a rush does nothing.
29:52And instead, that bit of the brain that looks after habit will kick in.
29:56Now, that's the bit that's filled with all the boring things we do every day without having to think about
30:00them.
30:01For those gamblers in a routine, having the bet ends up in that bit of the brain instead of the
30:07fun part.
30:07It's no longer a thrill, but a compulsion.
30:10And because the world you're living in keeps nudging you to keep doing it, it's not long before you're addicted.
30:15And unlike alcohol or drugs, it's an addiction that you think with a big win might provide you with a
30:22cure.
30:24So, with all this in mind, you may be wondering why we haven't put a lid on it yet.
30:30Back in the 1900s, betting was only legal at the racetrack.
30:35But a few enterprising folks soon found a workaround.
30:39The starting price bookies.
30:43Suddenly, people could gamble anywhere and at better prices because the SP bookies didn't pay tax.
30:50Dodging police was half their job, so they posted lookouts known as cockatoos.
30:56Brought to vivid life in this dramatic re-enactment.
31:00The cockatoo warns the bar, sometimes by loudly squawking and beating his wings,
31:05but more usually in a discreet manner by calling out an unusual order.
31:14By the 1950s, SP bookies were making nearly $300 million a year.
31:20The government had an epiphany.
31:24Betting premises like these will be converted to TAB agencies,
31:28and they'll be as exciting to enter as a Commonwealth employment agency.
31:32TABs were state-owned betting shops set up to kill off the black market.
31:36And, of course, take their share.
31:39The state totalisator agency boards now collect hundreds of millions of dollars in failed hopes every year.
31:46The states liked the taste of gambling money.
31:49Come the 90s, they were hungry for more.
31:52The Northern Territory spotted an opportunity.
31:55They legalised sports betting and started licensing bookmakers at rock bottom of the harbour tax rates.
32:01Sports lovers around Australia will, for the first time, be able to bet legally on practically any sport.
32:08More markets meant more betting action.
32:10$20 on North Sydney to beat Brisbane at 9 to 4.
32:14But businesses could only grow as fast as someone could answer the phone.
32:17OK, thanks, Matthew.
32:19Then the internet arrived.
32:21In just two weeks, it's had a global impact.
32:24Suddenly, the Territory bookmakers were raking it in 24-7 from punters around the world.
32:30Unbelievable. We knew it would be pretty popular, but we really haven't been able to keep up with the response.
32:35Global betting giants rushed in, smelling big money.
32:39And today, more than 40 bookmakers call the Top End home.
32:44So what started out as an attempt to tidy up illegal gambling
32:47ended up pumping growth hormones into it.
32:51Last year, the Top End turned over $42 billion in sports betting
32:56and they only paid the Northern Territory government $19 million in tax.
33:02And what did the rest of Australia get?
33:04A sports betting app in every other pocket.
33:10Of the $1.8 billion sports bets every year, 80% are placed on mobile phones.
33:22Are you going to win?
33:25Um, hopefully.
33:28South Brisbane cricketer Moe is part of the first generation to grow up with gambling at their fingertips.
33:34At 16, most of his friends were punting on betting apps.
33:41Oh, now we missed that. That was a highlight.
33:43That was something exciting.
33:44Not out.
33:45Not out?
33:45No, no.
33:46It's still enough to yell about.
33:47I mean, the yelling makes you feel like it might be a highlight, but no.
33:54Now, is that enough for you?
33:55I mean, in terms of watching a sporting match like this one,
33:58you'll have to bet on it to make it slightly more exciting?
34:01There's been times, yeah, where I have decided to put some money on it.
34:04Okay.
34:05So mainly football?
34:06Yeah, yeah, football mainly, I guess.
34:08Every now and then, maybe horse racing if there's an event like that.
34:11Can I just see your betting app?
34:13Yeah, sure.
34:14Is that all right?
34:14There you go.
34:15So a couple of clicks, I'm in.
34:17Quite busy with advertising, aren't you?
34:18That's right.
34:19But what's sort of scary here is that you have access to every racing track in Australia at the moment.
34:24So as you can see, every five minutes is another race.
34:28So you can chase your losses pretty quickly, can't you?
34:31Yeah.
34:31I mean, there's just, there's stuff happening in the world at all times.
34:35So if you want, you can be betting 24 hours a day, really.
34:38Okay.
34:39There's also the social side.
34:41We can crush them all.
34:43We could start a bet with mates group.
34:47Make group betting look easy with sports bets betting with mates.
34:50Start a group and bet.
34:51Apps now let you grab your mates, pull money and take turns punting.
34:58When you win, the adrenaline rush is amplified.
35:01And when you lose, it doesn't feel as bad.
35:04I know that there are mates of mine that do do that.
35:07And it seems really dangerous because you're beholded to what your mates do.
35:12You're going to gamble at the level that they're gambling at.
35:14You know what I mean?
35:15Especially when other things like alcohol are involved as well.
35:18Like, that can really impair your decisions.
35:24For most male sports bettors, the odds aren't in their favour.
35:2970% are already on the road to harm.
35:33First grade captain Lucky Peterson can spot the dangers more than most.
35:38Years ago we had some problems or some issues with people sitting on their phones watching the horse racing and
35:43putting some bets on.
35:44During the match, rather than watch their fellow players, they would be watching horse racing.
35:50Yeah, and then if something happened on the field, we just wouldn't see it just because we were looking down
35:55at our phones.
35:56So we kind of stopped that in 2020, 2021.
36:01Lucky has good reason to set restrictions on his team.
36:05I was a problematic gambler for about 10 or 11 years, but no one knew that.
36:13All my punting was done behind closed doors.
36:15That part of my life cost me a lot.
36:18You're a coach and you're a trainer.
36:19Do you think young people are more or less alert to the dangers of gambling than you were?
36:25Yeah, definitely.
36:26So I go to schools and discuss my story, discuss the dangers of what can happen.
36:31It is all about access to their phones and that's how they're doing it.
36:36We normally talk to about 200 or 250 kids in one sitting.
36:40And three quarters of them will have their hands up that they've either participated in gambling before.
36:44So what messages are you giving them about gambling?
36:47Yeah. So when these guys come up to me and say, oh, I went to the pokies and had a
36:51big win or, you know, I don't mind having to punt.
36:53I just talk to them about, you know, what can happen.
36:56Because when I was 18, it wasn't an issue.
36:58And then as I got older and older, it became an issue.
37:05Well, as much as I'd like to hang around for the second day of this test, I got to go.
37:10Too much of a good thing always leaves one wanting less, I've always found.
37:15I admire Lucky very much.
37:17He is contributing to hopefully a better future where people who were his age when he got introduced to gambling
37:23are going to be more alert and aware of the perils.
37:29But I can't help feeling he's fighting a losing battle.
37:33Combine mobile phones and betting and it's like having a poker machine in your pocket.
37:43The results can be, and often are, devastating.
37:56Melbourne mother Amy is spending this crisp Monday morning outside Lodden Prison in Victoria.
38:03Her husband, Dylan, has been locked up here for the last nine months for a crime he committed to fuel
38:10an online gambling addiction.
38:15Today, he's being released.
38:18I'm guessing you're pretty happy about this day arriving.
38:22Yes, I'm so happy.
38:24What a weird, weird year it's been.
38:28I mean, yeah, we're just so happy that this is, this part's behind us.
38:35Well, I don't want to take away from the moment that you're about to experience.
38:38I wish you well.
38:40You're going to walk up that hill and say hello to Dylan.
38:42He's going to come out in a second.
38:43Yes, cannot wait.
38:53Dylan's case attracted more press than usual thanks to his famous name.
39:00He's the son of AFL great Robert DiPierre Domenico, better known as Dipper.
39:07In 2019, Dylan was charged with embezzling more than $140,000 from his then employer,
39:15money which he spent gambling online.
39:19He was eventually found guilty and sentenced in early 2025.
39:33Oh, God.
39:34Give me a kiss.
39:35I love you.
39:37It's so much.
39:39I want to get down.
39:41Let me kick that off.
39:45I'm so strong.
39:47Hey, guys.
39:48How are you?
39:49Dylan, I presume.
39:52I've never been out here.
39:53I've seen it quite a picturesque part of the world.
39:57Dylan, I feel like the third wheel on this bicycle, but...
40:02Hello.
40:03Nice to meet you.
40:04Nice to meet you.
40:04I didn't want to intrude on what must be a very important day for both of you.
40:09It is.
40:10It feels...
40:11It's gone really quick, but it feels like one long day.
40:14Nine months is not a hell of a long time.
40:16You know, it's not like I'm institutionalised or anything like that.
40:18It's...
40:19Well, hang on.
40:19Let me ask that of Amy.
40:20Is nine months a long time?
40:21Well, yes.
40:22Okay.
40:22It's a long time.
40:23It's a long time.
40:23Yeah, it's a long time.
40:24It's a reasonable hunk of the year.
40:27It is.
40:33Dylan's relationship with gambling began much the way it does for a lot of Australian children.
40:38I remember Dad, you know, would have a bet and I remember, you know, driving in the
40:42car and he's, his, um, I could recite his TAB phone account number on the, on the, on
40:48the line.
40:48I remember that, but...
40:49So how old are you when you, when this is entering into your consciousness?
40:53Oh, probably 10, 12, something like that.
40:55Dylan's father was not only a casual gambler.
40:58Thanks to his profile, he was a regular fixture at Crown Casino, hosting events and functions.
41:06More recently, he's been a tipster for an online betting company.
41:13Today's hot tip is Turb Warrior at Manchester in race six.
41:17I was about 18 or 19 when I started doing it.
41:20It was something I enjoyed and, you know, I did it with my, my dad and we'd sit on the
41:23couch and watch the races and stuff and with my mates, we'd sit at a pub and as time's
41:28gone on, it's just crept more and more into our lives where it felt inescapable.
41:32It went from being an enjoyable pastime that I did with mates to being something that totally
41:39crippled my life.
41:41As his addiction grew, Dylan grew ever more desperate.
41:45He applied for and maxed out numerous credit cards.
41:48He then took out a personal loan, which he blew.
41:52Drowning in debt, Dylan started stealing money from his employer, betting nearly 24 hours a
41:58day. He was convinced one big win would fix everything.
42:02You know, I had sort of three or four main companies I would use and I would have a VIP
42:07manager assigned to me for each of those.
42:10Now my...
42:11Did you ask for that?
42:12No.
42:12The reason I was a VIP was because I was a loser.
42:15You know, they don't give, if you're a winning punter, you get cut off.
42:18And what were some of the benefits of having a manager assigned to you?
42:21So, hey Dylan, you know, hope you're well.
42:25Spring Carnival's coming up.
42:26Just letting you know, we've put $500 in your account for bonus bets.
42:29Have a great day.
42:30Hey Dylan, hope you're well.
42:32Whatever you've deposited in your account will match at 100%.
42:36Often I would have my first bet at 7 in the morning and my last bet at 2 in the
42:41morning.
42:41I'd be gambling in the toilet.
42:43I'd be gambling when I check my messages at night time.
42:45It just did not stop.
42:47In one day I had four or five hundred bets.
42:56I had so much money owing.
42:58I had stolen so much money that I could never repay.
43:01And my mentality then changed from, you know, if I'm in for a penny, I'm in for a pound.
43:08When the inevitable happened and Dylan's world came crashing down around him,
43:12he faced 71 counts of embezzlement.
43:17The managing director phoned, I went to the office and she basically had a stack of paperwork
43:20and said, you know, have you been stealing money from the company?
43:23And I just said yes, straight away.
43:26I felt like a piece of shit.
43:27I just, the lowest you can feel as a human being.
43:33They were concerned about my welfare and rang Amy.
43:38I called him and I was like, where are you?
43:43He goes, I don't know why I'm here, but I'm right next to the train station.
43:49And I was just like, can you please just come home?
43:54Just come home.
43:55I'm like, don't do anything to yourself.
44:04He came home and I'm so thankful I came home because I didn't know what was going to happen.
44:16I'm actually so thankful that he was caught because I don't know how long he would have continued to do
44:25this.
44:27And also it was a turning point for him to really take a good hard look at himself
44:33and see what he was doing to himself and to us.
44:41The best thing I can do is to lead a good life and repay the money that I owe that
44:47I stole from them
44:48because they're entitled to that and that is 100% my intention to do so.
44:53What about you with the wider family, the mum and dad and so forth?
44:59Talking about it with dad, I was, you know, I felt really ashamed that my actions brought his name into
45:06it as well.
45:07I don't put any blame on the way, you know, like the way we gambled or the times we spent
45:12together.
45:13I made all these decisions on my own and I'm responsible for my own actions.
45:19I didn't feel like a good son, I certainly wasn't a good husband and people, they love you unconditionally.
45:25I just want to be a present father and a good husband and, yeah, just be the man they need
45:36me to be.
45:37Dylan, if you rule the world, given all you know and all you've learnt,
45:42what would be your advice to the gambling industry or to those who are drafting legislations?
45:50I think everyone is at the right to choose what they do with their own money
45:53and all I know is that gambling at the moment, it is everywhere.
45:58People are going to start doing it younger and younger
46:00and the cost to the economy and to people's lives and families
46:04is going to grow astronomically.
46:07I just think we need to go back and try to make it unsexy.
46:11If you want to have a bet, do so, but don't be rewarded for losing.
46:20I think I said at the very beginning is that I didn't really understand gambling at all.
46:25I still, I guess I don't yet.
46:29But what I also didn't understand was what it is like to be in the grips of addiction
46:33when it comes to gambling.
46:37I'm grateful to Dylan and Amy for sharing what is an intensely personal chapter
46:46and rather horrific chapter of their lives
46:50in the name of helping anybody out there who is going through a similar problem.
46:59And it's helped me, it's a secondary benefit I suppose,
47:03it's helped me at least come some way to understanding what it must be like.
47:10Dylan's story shows what happens when technology outruns regulation.
47:14If this is gambling now, what does the future look like?
47:17It's a betting website.
47:18And how do we change course or at least put up some guardrails before it's too late?
47:22We're the biggest losers in the world and we have an industry that is just running riot.
47:35What's gambling really costing you?
47:37For free and confidential support, call the number on the screen or visit the website.
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